I have been working at K. Hovnanian Homes full-time (more than 3 years)

Pros

Good people, family environment, good with active adult communities

Cons

This division is stuck in a time warp. Meetings are always held in Edison, NJ forcing people to drive constantly. Technology is not embraced and it is very much the good old boy network. Very white and very male, management is spotty. Way too many promotions based on who one knows compared to merit driven.

When Housing Industry flourished was a great "family" atmosphere to work in. "Employee" was a dirty word; we were referred to as ASSOCIATES...

Cons

...when the Housing Bubble burst like the Hindenburg, let's just say you found out who your "family members" truly were. Whereas it is understood downsizing is a sad reality when an organization is losing money, at KHOV jobs were eliminated based primarily on salary. Hence long-time dedicated "associates" with passion for their jobs were terminated over newer lower-salaried employees who did not match that same passion and dedication.

Advice to ManagementAdvice

As a builder of Housing Communities you may think your greatest asset is the homes you build. WRONG! Your greatest asset is your employees...or "associates" as you wanted us to be called when times were good.

This job was 100% commision however if you worked 12 - 18 hour days you could make $150,000.

Cons

Management did not understand that we have personal lives. I took calls on Christmas, calls while at a funeral. I was constantly tethered to a company provided blackberry that my kids would hide from me because it was so imposing. Management was condescending and unappreciative of the hours we put in and would always back the customer or homebuilder rather than the employee. Expectations were unrealistic and caused many employees at the time to go on meds just to cope with the job.

Advice to ManagementAdvice

I hope the Sr. Management in the Mesa office has been terminated by now.

Ongoing downsizing. Cash poor company. Too much nepotism. The owner gets too involved in small details and is not a people person. Local manager does not respect the opinion of others. The mortgage company is and always has been poorly run.

Advice to ManagementAdvice

Be honest with employees about the condition of the company. Get rid of relatives who are not deserving of their positions. Quit getting too involved in small details and concentrate on the big picture. Spend less time in the high society social scene and more time solving challenges.

Good location, looks good on resume. Benefits are fair, fun environment, co-workers were excellent.

Cons

Management is incompetent. Some don't even understand how a building is built. Management couldn't tell which employees knew their jobs and which didn't. This results in very high turnover due to unfair promotions/firings.